It’s not only registered professionals who are susceptible to fitness to practise processes when things go wrong. I recently represented a student nurse in fitness to practise proceedings at their university. They were in their third year of study.

At risk was their place on the course; if the decision was negative, their course would be terminated and their journey to become a registered nurse would come to an end. In student fitness to practise processes, it is unusual for lawyers to be permitted to represent the student. Instead, help has to be given from afar, in advising the student on what to do and say, and in drafting and collating the appropriate documents to strengthen the student’s defence.

Many don’t know this, but written advocacy can be as powerful a tool as oral advocacy, and well-drafted arguments by a lawyer can significantly increase a student’s chances of success in their fitness to practise panel hearing.

In this case, I drew out the student’s story in a pre-hearing meeting and then advised and assisted them to put together a comprehensive package to present to the panel.

As a result, they were well able to deal with the hearing and have been told that they can continue on to complete their course and graduate.

Students often have access to parental funding, and we make allowances for lesser income a student will have in our offering - so students too can benefit from our fitness to practise experience, giving them the best chance of becoming the professional they aimed to be.